Decided to try a different concrete sealer on a small warehouse floor job

Had a 5,000 square foot warehouse floor in Spokane to seal last month. The owner was on a tight budget, so instead of my usual go-to, I tried a cheaper, water-based acrylic sealer a supplier pushed on me. Applied it exactly as the can said, two coats, 24 hours apart. Two weeks later, the client called saying forklift tires were already leaving black marks and the shine was gone in the high traffic lanes. Went back to look, and sure enough, it looked terrible. Learned that saving $0.15 a square foot cost me a full day's labor to strip and redo it with a proper epoxy hybrid. When a product seems too good to be true on price, it usually is. What's your minimum standard for a light industrial floor sealer these days?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric_murray261mo ago

That water based acrylic was the first mistake. Those are basically for showrooms, not a working floor. For light industrial, you need a 100% solids epoxy or a polyaspartic. Even a good hybrid epoxy like you used next should be the bare minimum. Anything less and you're just putting down a temporary film that wears off in weeks under real use.

piper_burns1mo agoMost Upvoted

Eric_murray26 is right about the wear, but even a 100% solids epoxy needs the right prep. If that concrete isn't opened up with proper acid etching or grinding, the best coating will just peel up in sheets. The bond is everything, and a lot of DIY kits skip that crucial step.

patricia_mason1mo ago

Totally agree with both of you, lol. Watched my buddy make that exact mistake in his garage workshop. He put down a water based kit because it was cheap and easy, said it looked great for about a month. Then his rolling tool chest started tearing right through it, left these awful scuff marks down to the concrete. It basically just flaked off anywhere there was real friction. You're spot on calling it a temporary film, that's all it is.